Myopia management for children

Help slow your child's short-sightedness and protect their eye health for the future, with expert care from our optometrists.

Book your child's eye test

What is myopia?

Myopia, or as it’s more commonly known, short-sightedness, is a very common eye condition that affects around 1 in 3 people in the UK[1]. 

With myopia, things in the distance look blurry, while things close up stay clear. It happens when the eye grows slightly too long, so light focuses in front of the retina instead of on it. 

For children, that can make everyday things harder, like reading the board at school, catching a ball or watching TV. 

Myopia in children

Myopia usually starts in childhood, often between the ages of 6 and 13. While a child's eyes are still growing, their myopia can keep getting worse, typically until their early twenties. 

The sooner it's spotted, the sooner we can help slow it down. That's why regular eye tests matter, even if your child seems to see well. NHS eye tests are free for under-16s, and no child is too young: we tailor every test to their age. 

Learn more about Children's Eye Tests
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How do I know if my child has myopia?  

Children don't always tell us when they can't see clearly, so the signs can be easy to miss. Look out for your child:

Struggling to see the board or screen at school

Squinting or finding it hard to read signs in the distance

Sitting close to the TV, or holding phones and tablets near their face

Rubbing their eyes often

Getting frequent headaches

Myopia also runs in families. If one or both parents are short-sighted, your child is more likely to be too.

If you notice any of these signs, book an eye test so our optometrist can check your child's eyes and talk you through the options.

What is myopia management for children?

Standard glasses and contact lenses help your child see clearly, but they don't stop their myopia getting worse. Myopia management is different. It uses specialised lenses and healthy habits to slow down how quickly short-sightedness progresses. 

That matters because higher levels of myopia are linked to a greater risk of serious eye conditions later in life, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts and myopic macular degeneration. Slowing myopia now can help lower that risk. 

The earlier treatment starts, the more it can help.

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 Your child's myopia journey 

Managing myopia is an ongoing partnership, not a one-off appointment. Here's what to expect at Leightons, from the first visit to the day your child's eyes stop changing.

1

The eye test

It starts with a children's eye test, free on the NHS. Our optometrist checks your child's vision and eye health, and ask about family history and daily habits.

2

Choosing a treatment together

We explain the options that suit your child's age, lifestyle and prescription. These include specialised glasses, myopia control contact lenses. There's no pressure, and you can take time to decide.

3

Fitting and getting started.

Your child is fitted with their new glasses or lenses. If they're wearing contact lenses, we teach you both how to put them in, take them out and keep them clean.

4

Regular reviews

We see your child every 6 to 12 months to measure their eyes and check that treatment is working. Your optometrist will recommend the right interval for your child, based on factors such as their age, prescription and how quickly their myopia is changing. If progress isn't as expected, we'll talk you through adjusting the plan. 

5

Into adulthood

Myopia usually stabilises in the late teens or early twenties. We'll keep monitoring until it has, then advise on the best long-term vision correction.

Myopia management options for children 

Every child is different, so our optometrists recommend the option that best suits your child's age, prescription and lifestyle. None of these treatments reverse myopia. They are designed to slow it down, and the earlier they start, the more they can help.

Myopia control glasses

These look like ordinary glasses. The centre of the lens corrects your child's vision, while a pattern of tiny lenslets around it sends a signal that slows down the eye's growth. We use Hoya's MiYOSMART lenses with D.I.M.S. technology. In a two-year clinical trial, they slowed myopia progression by around half. 

If another myopia control lens would suit your child better, just ask. We can source alternatives from other leading brands.

Book your child's eye test
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MiYOSMART iQ, our most advanced myopia control lens  

MiYOSMART iQ is the next generation of Hoya's award-winning MiYOSMART lens, and it's designed to do even more for your child's eyes. In studies, 9 out of 10 children had no clinically relevant myopia progression in their first 12 months of wear [2]. 

Why parents are choosing iQ 

  • Stronger and faster. It has more lenslets and sends a stronger signal to slow eye growth. It reaches in 2 weeks what the original takes 3 months to achieve. 
  • Sharper and thinner. The FreeForm design gives clearer vision, and the lenses are up to 10% thinner for stronger prescriptions. 
  • Built for school life. A tougher coating comes with a 14-month scratch guarantee, plus a 0.50D prescription warranty. 
  • Light-reactive option. It's available in Chameleon photochromic lenses, with a Sunbird sun lens coming in 2027. 

MiYOSMART iQ costs the same as the original MiYOSMART, so you get the latest technology at no extra cost. If your child already wears MiYOSMART and doing well, there's no need to switch. 

Myopia control contact lenses

Contact lenses are a great choice for active children and those who play sport. We offer two types: 

  • Daily soft lenses such as MiSight 1 day. These are worn during the day and thrown away each night. Their concentric rings of different powers help slow eye growth. 
  • Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses. These are worn only while your child sleeps. They gently and temporarily reshape the front of the eye, so your child can see clearly all day without glasses or lenses. Learn more about Ortho-K. 

Children can wear contact lenses, as long as they can confidently insert, remove and care for their lenses safely.

Contact lenses for children
young girl getting ready to put contact lens in, in front of a mirror

Healthy habits that help

Treatment works best alongside everyday habits: 

  • Get outside. Spending at least two hours a day outdoors helps reduce the chance of myopia starting and may slow it down. 
  • Take screen breaks. Encourage the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 
  • Keep a good distance. Hold books and devices at least 30 cm away, and read in good light. 
boy with long hair running outside

Why regular eye tests matter for children 

Children rarely tell us their vision is blurry, because they have no way of knowing what clear sight should look like. Sometimes only one eye is affected. The other eye makes up for it, so your child may not notice anything is wrong, and neither may you.  

Left unchecked, it can hold back their reading, concentration and confidence at school. That's why we recommend an eye test every one to two years, or more often if your child has myopia or your optometrist advises it.  Learn more in our guide on why eye tests are so important for children.  

How much does myopia management cost?

Eye tests are free on the NHS for under-16s and under-19s in full-time education, so it's easy to keep on top of your child's eye health. Myopia control treatments aren't funded by the NHS, but if your child qualifies for an NHS optical voucher, you can use it towards the cost of myopia control glasses.

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A pair of stylish Oakley sunglasses with brown lenses and unique frame design.
Make it simpler with the MyLeightons Care Plan
Myopia management works best with regular check-ups, and the MyLeightons Care Plan makes them simple. For one monthly fee, your child gets advanced eye examinations and generous discounts on glasses, lenses and services, all in a warm, family-friendly setting.
Find out more
Book an appointment

Booking an appointment is easy - choose a time that works for you with our simple online system. Prefer to speak to someone? Call us on 0800 40 20 20 (lines open Mon–Sat, 8.30am – 5pm).

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Myopia FAQs

No. Once the eye has grown longer, it can't shrink back. Myopia management slows down how quickly short-sightedness gets worse. That means a lower final prescription and a lower risk of eye health problems later in life.

The earlier, the better. Myopia tends to progress fastest in younger children, so starting treatment soon after it's detected, often between ages 6 and 12, gives the greatest benefit. Understand when your child should take for their first eye exam?

Genes play a part. A child with one short-sighted parent is more likely to become short-sighted, and the risk is higher still if both parents are. Lifestyle matters too, especially time spent outdoors and on close-up tasks.

Yes. Children can usually wear them safely, as long as they can handle them with a parent's supervision. Good hygiene and regular check-ups are essential.

Ortho-K is widely used for children and is safe when lenses are cleaned properly and checked regularly. As with any contact lens, there's a small risk of eye infection, which we'll explain at your fitting.

Usually until their myopia stabilises, typically in the late teens or early twenties. We'll review progress regularly and advise when it's safe to stop.

[1] Sight Research UK (n.d.), ‘Myopia’, available at: https://sightresearchuk.org/about-sight/eye-conditions/myopia/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026). 

[2] Tse D.Y., Hon Y., Chun R. K., Leung T. W., Leung D. K. Y., To C. H., Lam C SY. Myopia Control Efficacy of Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments Spectacle lens with Triple Enhanced Design: 12-month randomized controlled trial. Abstract 2523, ARVO 2026 Annual Meeting, Denver, USA. https://eppro02.ativ.me/web/index.php?page=IntHtml&project=ARVO26&id=4486941